bone blog chicago #3

bonesters

world premiere day, I'm up early getting coffee for the gals and smoking, it has become impossible in the free united states to rent a hotel room and smoke in it. I sit by the post office on clark and adams, admiring the post office itself. It's a one story structure 30 feet high, but the interior is all plywood walls 16 feet high, polished brass mail boxes, and spherical ceiling lighting, it all makes for a better bpx.[I find out later it's mies van der roe] I take the coffee up and plug in my dead phone, which immediately starts ringing, jai [co-producer] is at the airport with Courtney [actor] and Lauren [ad and actor], a minute later andrew calls [an editor and script supervisor]/ Everyone's here, I arrange to meet everyone in front of the theater at 4pm. Jai arrives from midway and we all have breakfast at the marquette inn on w. adams, jai orders a beer, not a good sign.

At 4pm in front of the theater only Daisy and Andrew show, jai is stuck in traffic, what traffic? Lauren courtney swear they will be at the hotel at 6pm. The three of us, w/ devin added, go in search of a fed ex kinkos open to make more post cards, jai shows up at six, I tell him to introduce himself to the festival director Brian and pass out cards.

At six fifteen, lauren and courtney show at the hotel, and they go upstairs to shower and dress. At the cinema everyone is there and Brian introduces the film, I say a few words and the movie begins in silence, NO SOUND, that is soon fixed and it begins again, the sound plays a little hot but the film runs without interference for the next 85 minutes, towards the end I run out to wiz and get back in the theater as the credits are finishing, Jai runs up to the stage hijacks the mike and proceeds to give a rambling speech about production, All the horrors of production are now playing live on the stage, he reduces the film to let's all get drunk. We finally all get on stage and I try salvage what I can.

Afterwards everybody is screaming at me.

ouch, ouch and ouch again.

the bone blog

ouch, ouch, ouch.


http://cellar-film.com/

bone blog chicago #2

dear bonesters

Chicago is fantastic - brilliant sun and warm breezes- I'm up early getting coffee for the gals, taking in the morning streets of the loop, everyone hustling on the streets, selling god in that great chicago detroit black accent, i miss it. We have lunch with larry lee a professor at the school of the art institute, in the old marshal field building on state. He gives us free passes to the art institute where we check out the "NEW", [everything is new here] contemporary wing at the museum. Warhol looks fantastic, less so lichtenstein/stella/serra [b 4 his theme park period] and katz, [that guy is so finished]/and gober.. They have shockingly elegant smithson, as well as a calzolieri, and brilliant eve hesse's and gustons. The late afternoon is fantastik we absorb the incredible architecture here. Chicago is seducing all of us.

First film, "The boy with the sun in his eyes" by Todd Vertow [bangor films] is a beautiful decadent romp through paris, milan and berlin, the film has a great energy and nicely lensed and another feature, [bangor films has made 15 features in less than 10 years.] I feel great, indie, alternative, anti film is alive in chicago. I split the next two screenings, one a feature, Impolex,[a dissipation of pynchons novel gravity's rainbow, is slightly uneven but looks great and nice talent, the other is a block of shorts a couple of them causing deep belly laughs. Afterwards it's back to the Bottom lounge, on W. lake [my favorite new spot with the pink line el, passing every five minutes, completely drowning out the conversation, as a wanning half moon rises over the lake. We all hang with the film makers knocking down beers and taking in this gorgeous night. overheard conversation Chicago is like a lover in the summer, who seduces you again and you realize that everything is possible, the summer makes you forget all the bad times, that winter has brought you. Again Daisy and I are under the el enjoying herbal remedies, when Ms. Yi joins us, all three of us scream [a cabaret moment] as the el roars above us.

french kisses

the bone blog.

http://cellar-film.com/

bone blog chicago

dear bonesters

it's been exactly one year since the last entry from London. Now, it's Chicago and a new film, "Cellar" [84mn]. where we will be premiering saturday night.

The weather here is fantastic, caught the plan w/o incident, traveling with hyewon and Daisy Payero is much better than going w/ bunker [the other glimmer twin]. Arrived at midway and caught the orange line into the loop, where a drunk white girl, [it's one thirty pm] deposited donut fragments into Daisy's hair, but daisy true to her loisida roots took no shit. Checked into the hotel, windows don't open, no smoking allowed and the air is truly questionable.On the walk to the theater we grabbed the chicago reader, to read a disappointing review of our new project, but they tore all the films apart, note to the critics, this is an UNDERGROUND festival not the oxygen network. I gave the print to Brandon our projectionist who projected it into theater Number one, a truly amazing house, the gene siskel theater is state of the art. We ran into bryan, the festival director who has done an amazing turn around with the festival, his 16th as director.

Opening night film, "it came from Kuchar", a doc about the kuchar brothers from the bronx, which i found interesting despite it was a doc, after the film was screened Mike Kuchar had done a 10 min. film about his mother who has recently passed, I had no idea what I was watching, it didnt make sense, there was no sense of rhythm, no wide shot, cu it looked as though it had been formed by mistake, IT was brilliant, haunting, end of film.

Onto the after party at the "Bottom Lounge" on W. lake right under the pink line el. They had a 2nd floor deck that the el came shooting by like clockwork, you held on to your beer. But the best part of the night, Daisy and I slid it out with one of her hand made pipes and smoked the herbal remedy while the el raced above us we both screamed at the top of our lungs. Now we're in Chicago.

more later.


http://cellar-film.com/

bone blog london #4

Dear Bonesters,

Yesterday was Bone Film visits east end and hackney, a day of spiritual rest, bunker said he should've gone to church. Such high hopes for sunday roast, barely edible, though lancashire sausage was smoking. Walking through spitalfields market ally was recognized by the Bangaladesh cigarette vendor as Finsbury Park, it wasn't even her neighborhood, apparently she does get around. It was 4 o'clock when bunker got busted bringing contraband alcohol from his man purse into the parking lot/bar/south african bar b q, his response, I'm on a budget.

Bricklane, spitalfields the anarchy of london architecture from the upper deck of the # 141 bus to Finsbury park. After a few pints, it was time to hit the theater, so we took the cab ride from hell. Staso started screaming at the 2nd bangaledesh cab driver, who didn't where portobello road was. Study a fucking map. Oh, we're not racist.

London's fear of ice, is getting on bunkers nerves.

It's time to put CELLULOID # 1 to bed, after a year and 4 months on the festival circuit we've come to realize we are FILMMAKERS not film tourists. The LEGENDARY bonefilm PR machine is tired and squeaky, while the bone film production team is gearing up with a new script, "CELLAR a triptyct" which has been designed to premiere at CANNES 2009, no more weasel film festivals it's cannes or bust. We are currently searching for a latin American actress in her 30's w/ an extra side of VA VA VOOM, and an array of deeply wounded iraqi war vetrans against suicide, in their late teens, early twenties.[bonefilm is an equal opportunity / special needs employer, unlike Hollywood].

kisses from london

glimmer over and out

ex oh ex oh

bone blog london #3

dear bonesters

The day has started gray and gloomy and Staso is in an angry mood, seems there are problems of a personal nature, but yesterday was bright and cheerful, the last beautiful day of summer for us, and for the locals the first beautiful day of summer.

It's portobello road market day and all of london has decided to descend on it, a virtual feeding frenzy of consumption. I ran into John Sinclair, our new spiritual advisor who had just read the first london blog, I love your writing, he joins me on the walk to westbourne studios it takes a half an hour to go three blocks. After sampling he expressed an interest in our herbal specialist. then it's the cinema, first up was K. Hiraoka RED LIGHT DISTRICT GRAFITTI. An abstract masterpiece set in an abondoned building/brothel. The female workers have developed their own language, [which is reflected in the subtitles, "????//£9888888"]this seems to anger the local johns. it is performance art, it is opera, shot by John Fords cameraman. A great cinematic experience.

Next up is a slate of films documenting, the alternative Miss World contest, Andrew Logans annual art/performance fest. First up was the 2004 contest, filmed and introduced by jes benstock. A rollicking piece of pure documentary, fun but not great, unlike the 1973 20 minute version by Derek Jarman, the gay punk visionary british director. Beautiful super 8 black and white grainy perverted head shots, butt shots, torso's, all sides of the performers. It's wonderful to be in this super 8 world, no sync sound but fucked up musical choices, smoke gets in your eyes.

Another favorite was the 1978 edition shot on 16mm w/ sync sound juried by the late great DIVINE. These 1970's films reflected the wonderful innocence and spontanaeity of a pre-aids world. It was touching and heartbreaking at the same time. But Andrew Logan's genius was in the production of these contests. Everyone was welcome, fat, old, gay straight, human, non humans, vegetables and minerals, and they all had to walk down the same scary set of steps onto the stage. Many did not make it, but the winner, Miss Anthropic made it to be crowned and mounted on a donkey, both took the dive off the stage. Happily, the donkey was uninjured. All the contestants joined with the audience on stage to dance in celebration of the event. The soundtrack they were dancing to was ymca by the village people. It was very nearly perfect.

Work now finished, we headed into the 21st century saturday night of Soho/central london. We couldn't go to our favorite punk bars because they were filled to overflowing, in a pinch a nice little gay bar suffices, and it did, the enclave on wardour st. was quiet, until the female serbian bobsled team showed up. Bunker commented on how they were all bigger than his dad. He looked scared.
Once again we were snuggling in our beds, by 2:30.

we miss you all.

the glimmer twins

bone blog london #2

dearest bonesters

Sitting under the Westway, it is Portobello road market day. Bunker is feeling very GAY and witty from the previous days accomplishments. The day started grey and gloomy in our incredibly tight quarters, comon bunk beds at our age? First accomplishment: The bone film advertising machine was in fully mention [fotos forthcoming], but the highlight of our campaign were, a tree onportobello road where the MADAME PRESIDENT of the street association warned us in her oh so polite british manner that our asses were grass, of course we continued, one cannot move through notting hill gate without noticing the visage of celluloid stars. Staso really outdid himself in Kensington gardens where he artfully impaled the flyers on every fence post preventing us from papering the aristacratic mansions beyond the fence.

into the tube to a slightlly different venue in Bermondsey to connect with our local herbal specialist Phil, x drummer for the buzzcocks and it showed in his masterful piece of british dentistry. We sit on the southern banks of the sacred river thames, driniking lager and discoursing on rock n roll. Phil sluggested a healthy stroll along the river as he sped away on his bike 25 quid heavier, after this forced death march, [note to self: fuck you phil].

Lunch in soho, old school Italian, wardour st. Staso's Italian getting really good, we perused the evening free tabloids to see what the hell we did last night, only to find the saturation coverage of our nbf Kelly Osborn looking vivaciously fabulous, [WE HAD BEEN FOTOSHOPPED OUT ONCE AGAIN] but kudos for her for taking a hit for the indie team by bitchslapping a local columnist at the soho nightclub, Punk. Every paper of merit covered it and mentioned the Portobello film festival where she started her evening festivities.

Afternoon chores accomplished, the well oiled bonefilm machine rolled into Westbourne studios, only to fine the bouncer mafia firmly in place. Smoking area - drinking area - sitting area. Pick one - you can't do them all simultaneously like you could the night before. This proliferation of mind-body-soul police has started to get on Staso's nerves, which was reflected in the evenings films, all documentaries on dead night clubs [cbgb's new york - tresor in berlin - spitz in the east end ] The screen was filled with people drinking, smoking and even dancing indoors simultaneously, bunker noted that it looked really smelly, which in case you haven't noticed is banned.

off to the last afro british pub on portobello road, where we happened upon part of the crew that made "CONTROL" [the ian curtis/joy division bio pic] andone of the glimmer twins favorite films from last year. Here we met Thalia's Manchester counterpart, JANE. Many pints were consumed and we were deep in cinema again.



glimmer out.

the glimmer twins

bone blog london #1

Dear Bone Lovers　

Leaving New York is always painful, we arrived in London just in the nick of time. 8:30pm actually 11:30pm thank you American Airlines. One last call and we were snuggling in our spacious BUNK beds by 12:30 in our 4 foot by 6 foot hotel room, note to self no more beans.

Next day, after a busy afternoon consuming British fashion we hooked up with our alternative fashionably ally. our local expat.She was sporting a new tatoo of pagan catholic imagery and was as always thirsty. She regaled us with her tales of failed penitentiary romance, but she promised their attendance at our screening, bunker "yummy". We ate fabulous Mexican on westbourn grove road - note to self - no more beans. After inner we promptly got lost, bunker "They should tear all this old shit down and rebuild according to the grid principal, 1st street, 2nd street.

Arrived at the West Bourne Studios under the WESTWAY motorway [sacred clash territory] via black cab, three blocks freom our hotel, to a wolfpack of gathered paparazzi. ~Of course, Staso thought they were waiting for him, but quickly deduced they were waiting for a true celebrity, KATE MOSS.- who else would warrant this type of attention, POSH SPICE. Nevertheless we entered quickly and met the festival director, JB, aka Jonathan, a youthful late 40's anarcho punk. He started this festival back when portobello road was in it's bad days, like almost everywhere else, it's been rehabbed in a very posh way. "sushi anyone?" luckily there was a bar, and smoking outside where Staso told Bunker to wait for Kate Moss as he went into the theater to see her in the FLESH. The short [10mn] film "The town that boars me." played in a great screening room and the place was packed to the rafters w/ a very lwith it london crowd. The film had extreme production values and starred the edgy Kelly Osborne, sadly the film ended, Staso got his photos of the extremely talented Ms. Osborne as she grandly exited the theater to a explosion of paparazzi flash bulbs. Bunker screaming "She's just 10 feet away and I can't see Kate Moss?, all I see is that creepy el lay reality chick." Bunker cried at finding out the truth and drowned his humiliation over several pints, at the Warwick Castle pub on portobello road, [sacred clash ground].

more, much more tomorrow.



glimmer out.